(Minghui.org) People nowadays are often focused on utilitarianism and moral relativism. It has become commonplace for people to tailor their arguments to suit their own personal objectives, often regarding “flexibility,” “realism,” and “adaptability” as signs of strength. However, moral relativism focuses on the end desired result, without regard for moral standards.

Truthfulness is a fundamental universal value for humanity. The Tao School cultivates truthfulness. Confucianism emphasizes integrity. Buddhism prohibits falsehood, while Christianity condemns lying. Across these traditions, honesty and trustworthiness are considered the most basic and fundamental principles.

Confucianism teaches that a person cannot stand without integrity, while Buddhism teaches that false speech destroys all good roots. Losing truthfulness and trustworthiness is akin to a tree without roots or a stream without a source. Practitioners who fail to cultivate truthfulness cannot obtain Falun Dafa or achieve enlightenment, as they lack the qualities of perseverance, tolerance, compassion, or empathy.

Falun Dafa cultivates “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” with truthfulness being the foremost and most important principle. The phrases, “one should tell the truth, do things truthfully, become a truthful person” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) consist of only a few words, but achieving this is far from simple. This is because in China, under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the government lies, the media spreads misinformation, products are counterfeit, and the medical industry acts unethically. Many people are both lying and being lied to.

However, many Chinese people, especially those born after the start of the Cultural Revolution, have been taught from a young age to employ “highly instrumental thinking.” Language—including written text—is not used to express genuine thoughts, but rather as a tool to achieve certain objectives. They think that principles, values, and reasons are all tools that can be used for one’s own purposes and can be changed at any time. As a result,“saying what people want to hear” seems to be perfectly normal, and a lack of moral consistency is also considered normal.

Some practitioners who still live in China might still act or think like that. Many have gone along with the flow, habitually thinking that occasional lying is trivial. In a normal society, lying should be considered shameful. However, some practitioners have never taken the cultivation of “truthfulness” seriously, which the evil interference has seized upon as a loophole for persecution.

One practitioner carried truth-clarifying materials in her bag and then used someone else’s identification card to board a train. She was arrested and sentenced. Another practitioner returned to work after being absent for several months. Under pressure from the management, considering it a formality to keep her job, she wrote a “false” statement to give up on practicing Falun Gong. But later she went astray.

The Chinese saying goes, “Do not refrain from doing good because it is small, and do not do evil because it is small.” These practitioners have many good qualities, but they haven’t focused on genuine cultivation, perhaps thinking these are insignificant matters. In fact, there is nothing small in cultivation. These behaviors reflect distorted thinking and human attachments.

What does it mean to be truthful? Truthfulness means having consistency between one’s thoughts and words, speaking frankly, and avoiding deception and exaggeration. However, with the CCP culture, many Chinese people lie without hesitation or shame. If practitioners fall into this habit as well, we are not cultivating truthfulness.

Some practitioners often experience frequent incidents and repeated persecution. These practitioners should reflect on whether they have cultivated truthfulness. Only if one conforms to the teachings of Falun Dafa can one be protected by Master and the Fa.

One consequence of lying is failing to attain true enlightenment. Another is suffering karmic retribution. Lying is a major obstacle in spiritual practice. If one cannot even be truthful, how could one be compassionate and tolerant?

We need to recognize that habitual, intentional, or unintentional lying and deception are distorted and immoral notions. One must correct those behaviors. Only by rectifying one’s heart, being honest and upright, can one truly understand the Fa and make solid progress in cultivation.

This is my personal understanding. Please point out anything not in line with the Fa.